Serif Normal Onba 10 is a very bold, normal width, medium contrast, upright, normal x-height font visually similar to 'Ltt Recoleta' and 'Recoleta' by Latinotype (names referenced only for comparison).
Keywords: headlines, posters, editorial, book covers, branding, classic, bookish, sturdy, confident, traditional, bold emphasis, heritage tone, headline impact, editorial voice, print feel, bracketed, ball terminals, soft corners, compact, heavy strokes.
This serif has a compact, very weighty build with rounded, bracketed serifs and gently cushioned joins that keep the heavy strokes from feeling harsh. Curves are full and slightly squarish in their turning points, giving counters a sturdy, closed-in rhythm and making rounds like O and C feel dense and deliberate. The lowercase shows traditional proportions with a moderate x-height, short-to-moderate ascenders, and prominent ball terminals on letters like a, c, f, and y. Numerals match the robust color of the letters, with strong, rounded forms and consistent stroke endings that hold up well at display sizes.
It performs best where a strong, classic serif voice is needed—headlines, pull quotes, posters, and book-cover titling. The bold, compact color can also work for branding in applications that benefit from a traditional, established tone, especially in short texts where its dense rhythm adds impact.
The overall tone is traditional and authoritative, with a warm, old-style gravitas that reads as established rather than flashy. Its heavy presence feels confident and editorial, suggesting print-era reliability and a classic voice suited to formal or heritage contexts.
The design appears aimed at delivering a conventional serif feel with extra weight for emphasis, combining traditional proportions with softened terminals and bracketed serifs to maintain readability and warmth at larger sizes. It prioritizes a solid typographic color and a confident, heritage-leaning personality over delicate detail.
Spacing in the samples appears intentionally tight for a dense, poster-like texture, while the softened bracketing and rounded terminals keep the mass from becoming rigid. The design emphasizes a dark, even typographic color and a steady rhythm across mixed case and figures.